Evolution
by Dragynflies
Summary: Cameron's fellowship has been up for way too long but what happens when she decides to take a new job in Minneapolis? What will House think and what will he do to keep her at PPTH? HC
1. Chapter 1

"You can't leave!"

A tennis ball came flying out of House's office, nearly clipping Chase in the head. He ducked and glanced over to Foreman, who was attempting to look busy by paging through a file of a patient that had been discharged three hours prior.

"My fellowship ended six months ago, House. The plan was for me to stay until you hired a replacement; you haven't even agreed to interview anyone," Cameron's voice was shaky under her resolute tone.

"Why do I need to interview anyone? I have you."

"No. You don't. I have an opportunity for an amazing job at Mayo. I'm not going to pass that up to work under you the rest of my career."

"You want a raise? Is that it? A better parking space, a new car? Vacation time?" House negotiated, "Another date?" he finished dryly.

"I want you to sign this, so that I can give my two weeks officially."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I need an immunologist with mail sorting and coffee making skills on my team. And who else is gonna keep Blackie and the wombat out of trouble?"

"I'm not their i mother /i . They don't need anyone to keep them in line. You can't expect them to be here forever either, House. I didn't go to med school to get a fellowship, I went to med school to have a career. This fellowship was a fantastic opportunity, but it's time for me to move on!"

As Cameron came storming out of House's office, Chase scrambled for paperwork, trying to look nonchalant.

"You can stop faking now," she said to him, never breaking pace as she moved to the door, "Glass walls and an open door don't make for great privacy."

The next day, the tension was palatable. Cameron came in carrying a cup from Starbucks and the coffee pot went untouched.

"Are you going to do your job, or are you going to pout the rest of the day?" House asked snidely, dropping three identical files on the table. Chase and Foreman picked them up, flipping through them while they waited; Cameron made furious eye contact with House before picking up the remaining file.

"Seven year old girl presenting with..."

"If you'd sign my resignation, I'd be happy to give you two more weeks of me doing my job," Cameron said, nonetheless opening the file and paging through it.

"If I don't sign your resignation, I can have another year of you doing your job. Seven year old girl presenting with rash, fever, hearing loss and unexplained…"

Cameron was silent as House continued with the differential. She could go over his head – hell, she SHOULD go over his head, because this was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not. She had given him six months longer than intended, and she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity at Mayo, no matter how she felt about him. Especially when it was so blatantly obvious he reciprocated none of her feelings.

"Cameron, patient history. Chase, bloodwork – Foreman, set up the MRI for later this afternoon," House delegated, before disappearing into his office.

Cameron spend the remainder of her afternoon in Nikkia's room, taking detailed notes on everything she'd done, or come in contact with for the last six months. When she was done, she paid a brief visit to Cuddy's office.

If House wasn't going to do it, she'd take care of it herself.

"The hell is this?" The paper slammed down on the table in front of her, and Cameron barely caught herself before she flinched.

Cameron closed her eyes briefly before raising her gaze to his, "It's my two weeks notice, signed by Dr. Cuddy."

"I told you no."

"And I told you that I would be happy to give you two more weeks."

"Cameron…"

"I'm in the clinic today," she said with some finality, closing her laptop and shrugging her lab coat back on, "I will see you tomorrow."

She was in the Diagnostics room the next morning. The mail was sorted, requests for consults politely declined, the coffee pot three quarters full and warm.

"Change your mind then?" he asked, shoving his iPod into his suit coat pocket and pouring a cup of coffee.

"There are six CV's on your desk. Interviews start in two days; two a day for three days. The person you hire can come in next Monday and my last day will be that Friday."

"You're not leaving."

"I am, House," she said quietly, "Go start on those CV's."

It was becoming increasingly apparent that he was going to need to fight dirty to get her to stay. House went into his office, swept the CV's into his garbage can and settled back in his desk chair, ready to wait her out.


	2. Chapter 2

"House. Dr. Allan is here for her interview," Cameron said, leaning in the door.

"Was that the blonde one or the one with the big hooters?" House asked, pulling the earbud out of his ear and setting the iPod down on his desk.

"House." Cameron was exasperated and her calm resolve was starting to crack. Perfect.

"I'm not talking to her. Tell her the position is already filled."

"It won't be filled next Friday! I'll send her in."

Dr. Allan turned out to be neither the blonde nor the one with big hooters. She was smaller than Cameron, with dark hair and wide dark eyes. She entered his office hesitantly, as though House was going to spring from his chair and bite her.

"Dr. House," she said timidly, extending her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, and I would love the opportunity –"

"Across the hall. Dr. Wilson."

"I'm sorry?"

"If you want a doctor to suck up to. Dr. Wilson. Might even get in his pants, you suck up enough. I'm not hiring fellows."

"Dr. Cameron said – "

"Dr. Cameron doesn't know what's good for her. Have a nice day; stop in the clinic, pick up a lollypop," he finished, popping a sucker of his own into his mouth.

Cameron was walking down the hall as Dr. Allan charged past, her cheeks red. Cameron sighed roughly and stalked into House's office.

"What did you say to her?"

"Free lollypops in the clinic?" House asked innocently, removing his own candy from his mouth as he spoke.

"I'm sure. House, you have to hire someone. I'm moving next Saturday. I'm giving you notice. I set up interviews. I handpicked six immunologists for you. I'm making this as painless as possible."

"I have clinic hours," House said, replacing his headphones, "Go do them."

"You're going to have to interview someone at…fine," Cameron sighed, turning her back on House as he lip-synched to his music. Stubborn would only get him so far.

i I'm not backing down. I am leaving next Friday whether he has a new fellow or not. I am not giving up this chance to stay here and wait for a relationship that's never going to develop. /i 

It would be so easy to stay. So easy to accept the position in Immunology that Cuddy had offered. Cameron was an asset to the hospital and Cuddy hadn't wanted her to go. But if she stayed…she'd never get over him. The job at Mayo was a perfect opportunity in more ways than one. It was a chance to stand on her own, to run her own department, and she'd be an idiot to not take it.

"Go right in," she muttered to the next interviewee, waving her hand at House's office. She felt a pang of guilt for sending yet another doctor in to face the wrath of Greg House, but it had to be done. Eventually, he'd cave and hire someone.

"Another brown haired, female immunologist, Cameron?" she heard House's voice loud and clear from his half open door, "Are you trying to tell me something?"

It was going to be a long week.

Monday morning of her last week found House no closer to agreeing to hire a new fellow. If she were honest, she wasn't surprised, but she was also through helping him. She'd set him up with six fellows with credentials almost identical to hers at the beginning of her fellowship. He had absolutely no excuse for turning any of them down except for the simple fact that they were not her.

"I'm not setting up any more interviews," she told him as he poured his third cup of coffee.

"Good. No sense in wasting anyone's time."

"I'm sure you can function just fine with Chase and Foreman, then," Cameron said, her voice steady.

"As long as you keep making the coffee, I'm sure everyone will be just fine," he said, heading straight for his office without acknowledging her attempt to respond.

"It's a good thing there are three coffee shops within walking distance," Cameron muttered, her eyes watching House through the glass window as he kicked his feet up and paged idly through a journal.

i This shouldn't be this hard. /i 


	3. Chapter 3

On Cameron's last day, Foreman and Chase ordered in lunch for the three of them.

"Are we celebrating my leaving?" Cameron asked as they sat around the glass table, chopsticks clicking.

"We are celebrating your escape, Dr. Cameron," Foreman said, taking a bite from an egg roll, "We can only hope that we too, someday, will fly free."

Cameron snorted, reaching for the white carton of chicken fried rice, "In that case, thank you," she said dryly.

"Think of us when you order around your fellows," Chase told her, "Remember that you were young and stupid once."

"Is there an insult following that?" Cameron wondered aloud, giving Chase a little smile.

"Not today, you've earned a reprieve."

She still couldn't believe she was actually doing this. The box of haphazard items on her desk was one of so many signs that today was her last day here, and that tomorrow would be her last day in Princeton. She'd signed out of the clinic that morning and almost lost it, and she kept smiling instead of sniffling while eating lunch with her colleagues.

i It's not like you're never going to see them again. There will be conferences and…visits, or something. Emails, at least. It's time to stand on your own two feet, instead of in House's shadow. /i 

"Where's House?" she wondered, before she was able to put up her verbal filter.

"Hiding from clinic duty, probably," Chase mumbled around a mouthful of sesame chicken, "We're going to be busy around here without a third…well, fourth. My guess is he'll milk that for all he's worth."

"He's got no excuse for not hiring someone," Cameron said defensively, "I practically handed him a replacement. Six of them, in fact."

"No one's blaming you," Foreman assured her, "We're just preparing for the inevitable; that House is going to be even more of an asshole than usual."

Cameron nodded, turning her attention to her lunch and going oddly quiet.

"Hey," Foreman said, "Don't do that. We're happy for you, Cam. It's not your fault House hates change."

Cameron nodded again. Maybe if she kept chewing she wouldn't have to respond. She didn't want to leave, not on a personal level. Professionally, it was a solid career move. It made sense. Personally, it was going to be painful to adapt to live in a new city away from the few people she considered friends.

"No sad faces," Chase intoned, handing her a fortune cookie, "Let's see what it says."

Cameron cracked the dessert open and laughed wryly before reading the scrap of paper out loud, "Your future is bright. Change is looming."

"See, even the fortune cookie is happy for you," Foreman said, "Four hours and you're a free woman."

"Yeah," Cameron mumbled, her eyes on the fortune.

Two hugs and a cheesy picture inside an even cheesier frame later, and Cameron left Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital for the last time. She'd said a dry-eyed goodbye to Cuddy and managed to keep her tears mostly in check as she hugged Chase and Foreman.

House had been nowhere to be seen, and her visual scan of the parking lot told her he'd either left already or walked to work. She couldn't believe he hadn't even stuck around to say goodbye. Either he truly didn't care, or he didn't think she was serious about leaving.

As she walked to her car, she half expected him to pop out from behind a parked car. Shake her hand, wish her well.

i Right. And then I'll have to kill the pod person that's inhabiting his body. /i 

Moving up in her career shouldn't make her feel this empty. She started her car and sat in the parking lot for several minutes, staring at the box of random items she'd collected over her three years at PPTH. She had other stupid mementos at home, and it wasn't as though she was getting memories erased, she was just moving. Lots of people moved and did just fine. She could be one of them.

Pulling out of the parking lot held a sense of finality, and she didn't look back as she drove to her apartment. She opened the door, the sight of stacked boxes slightly obscured by the sheen of tears.

It wasn't going to do any good to cry over a choice she'd made. A good choice, she kept reminding herself, a choice that meant a raise, a promotion, and all sorts of opportunities for her.

Most of her possessions were packed. She'd worked carefully over the past two weeks, and all she had left out was her bed with a quilt thrown over it, her television set on a stack of cardboard boxes, a box of cereal and a pint of milk in the kitchen and clothes for that night and the next day. She changed into her sweats and a tank top and settled herself in bed, staring at the television.

Her phone buzzed and beeped its little text message signal, and she picked it up, opening the message.

i My place. I'll spring for dinner. – H /i 


	4. Chapter 4

Twenty minutes after receiving the text, Cameron stood nervously outside House's apartment. She'd thrown a sweatshirt over her tank top and swapped her sweat pants for jeans; all her nice clothing was packed. And just to top everything off, her make up was packed too. There had been a frantic moment where she'd considered unpacking something pretty and her cosmetics, but she didn't know what boxes had what clothes and if she showed up in a red dress and fresh make up, she'd look like she was expecting something.

The only way to do this was to expect nothing.

She knocked, shifting from toe to heel until the door opened.

"Hey," she muttered, stepping into the apartment and glancing around nervously. House was silent as he shut the door behind her.

"So," she started, twining her hands together and turning around to face him just as he wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his.

She jumped in surprise, fighting to pull back for approximately three seconds before she melted against him, her palm coming up to cup the curve of his check and her fingertips trailing over rough cheeks.

When he finally broke the kiss, she leaned her forehead against his, panting lightly, "What…what are you doing?"

"If you don't know, I'm doing it wrong," he responded, his lips already moving to hers again.

"No," Cameron said, placing both palms on his chest and stepping away from him, "What is going on with you?"

Instead of answering, House moved his hands from her hair to her hips, holding her close to him, "I thought it was pretty obvious," he murmured, his breath hot against her cheek as he brushed his lips over her skin.

His lips found the soft spot beneath her ear, and she tipped her head back unconsciously to allow him better access. Her little hands pawed at his dress shirt, tugging the buttons apart until her palms rested against the soft cotton of his T-shirt.

"That's better," he hissed into her ear before pulling the lobe between his teeth and biting lightly. Cameron couldn't stop the little whimper that escaped her lips, and she turned her head to trail heated kisses from his neck to his lips.

His strong hands slid under the material of her tank top and burned against her skin as he brushed his thumbs over her flat stomach. He kissed her back roughly, claiming her as she molded against him.

i I waited way too long to do this. /i 

"Bedroom," he said gruffly, backing away from her long enough to pull her down the hallway to his room. He kicked open the door, dragged her in and pushed her against the wall, dropping his cane to the floor as he kissed her. His hands moved greedily under her shirts, pulling her sweatshirt over her head and shoving her tank top out of the way.

"Mine," he growled, sucking one soft pink nipple into his mouth, his teeth closing around it. Cameron groaned as her head lolled back, connecting solidly with the wall. The pain went unnoticed as House's nimble fingers moved to the buttons of her jeans, unsnapping them while he laved his tongue over her nipple.

"Yes," Cameron whimpered, arching against him as much as she could, her hands clenched around his biceps, fingernails digging into his skin.

He pulled away abruptly, and Cameron let out a little whine as his mouth left her breast. She glanced at him, almost a little fearfully. Maybe…maybe this was it, and now he'd gotten the last laugh and set her up…

"Get in bed," he ordered, pulling his shirt over his head and half stumbling to the bed, sitting down. When she didn't move, he reached out his hand, "Come here."

She took his hand, and he pulled her to stand between his knees. He moved his hands back to the snap of her jeans, tugging the buttons open and pushing her jeans down until they pooled around her ankles. He tipped his head at the jeans and Cameron obediently stepped out of them to stand before him in her white cami and pale pink thong.

House groaned appreciatively, hooking his fingers in the elastic of her thong and pulling it down. Cameron squirmed under his heated gaze, but let him drag the flimsy satin off her. She helped him by tugging her shirt over her head, glancing down at him. He palmed her hips, then moved his hands to cup her ass, pulling her close as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss at the apex of her thighs.

Cameron mewled, arching towards him and twining her fingers in her hair as he ran his tongue over the soft skin, "You should really get in bed now," he told her, his breath hot against her clit.

"Mmhmm," Cameron ground out between clenched teeth, sinking down on the bed next to him and scooting back until she was laying down, her trembling legs apart as she watched him with heated eyes.

House let his eyes move over her pale skin, a half smile on his face. He turned, sitting on the bed and placed his warm hand on her stomach, trailing his fingers over her skin and then skimming off to brush over her thighs.

Cameron whined pitifully, twisting her hips under his touch, trying to get his fingers where she wanted them. He growled, placing each of his hands on her hips and pinning her to the bed as he carefully maneuvered between her legs. He shot her a grin before dropping his lips to her, pushing her legs further apart and running his tongue along her slit. She arched off the bed, and he pushed on her hips again.

"Stay still," he muttered, then dropped his lips back to her pussy, his tongue tracing patterns around her clit.

"Please," she begged, squirming under his grasp. He was strong; stronger than she'd expected, and his elegant hands held her hips securely to the mattress as he teased her.

A cramp shot through his leg, and he took that, rather than her begging, as his cue to finish her off. He thrust two fingers into her, curling them just as he pulled her clit between his teeth. She came hard, her neck arched back and her eyes slammed shut, screaming his name.

Gently, he slid his fingers from her, standing up as he finally pulled off his jeans and boxers. Cameron lay still on his bed, watching him with hooded eyes as he stripped.

"Move over," he ordered, and she rolled over to make room for him to lie down next to her, on his back. He pulled her towards him and she went willingly, throwing a leg over his pelvis to straddle him.

His hands moved almost automatically to her hips, where little bruises were already developing and he lifted her up. She understood immediately what he wanted and reached for him, grasping the base of his cock and guiding him inside her.

She gasped his name as he tipped his hips up and pushed deeper inside of her; she retaliated by bracing her hands on his chest and holding still, flexing around him.

"Move, Cameron," he groaned, fingertips digging into her hips as he tried to move her. She smirked playfully and he leered back, letting his hands leave her hips to trail up her stomach to her breasts. He pinched her nipples between his thumbs and pointer fingers, rolling the little nubs until Cameron was writhing, bouncing on him with abandon.

"Open your eyes," he grunted, licking a finger and sliding it around her slippery clit just as she locked eyes with him, "Good girl. Keep moving."

Cameron pulled her lower lip between her teeth and sank her upper teeth into the soft skin of her lip as he toyed with her clit, somehow keeping his hand just in time with her movements.

He pushed into her roughly, encouraging her to move faster and she obliged him, her gaze holding his the entire time. Finally, he groaned her name, using the hand still on her hip to pull her down firmly as he came, his fingers never leaving her clit. Seconds later, she was sinking her teeth into her lip as she came hard around him.

Exhausted from her second orgasm, Cameron slowly moved off him, dropping herself gracelessly next to him, her head on his shoulder.

"Wow," she murmured, nuzzling against him almost unconsciously as she fought sleep.

"Yeah," he returned, wrapping his arm around her and dragging the blanket over them. Cameron yawned and snuggled closer, throwing a slim leg over his good leg and sliding an arm over his chest.

"I was promised dinner," she murmured into his chest, her voice scratchy.

House chuckled, leaning down to kiss her, "You stay here. I'll be right back," he promised, carefully untangling himself from her grasp and rolling out of bed. He fumbled for his cane briefly, and then headed into his kitchen to find something for them to eat.

When he returned to his bedroom with his makeshift dinner and a bottle of wine, he found Cameron curled around his pillow, sound asleep. He let a little smile play over his lips as he set the food and wine down on his nightstand and crawled into bed, carefully removing the pillow from her arms and pulling her to him. In her sleep, she curled against him, tucking her head into the curve of his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled the blankets up to cover her.

She felt…right, in his arms, and he didn't want to think just too hard about what that meant.

"Stay," he murmured, placing a gentle kiss on the crown of her head, "Don't leave me."


	5. Chapter 5

Cameron woke up before House, still curled up safe and warm in his embrace. She closed her eyes again, holding still so she wouldn't wake him. Her face was buried in his chest and he had his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting on the crown of her head. She squirmed just a little, finally opening her eyes and turning her head to look at the nightstand. The clock read 5:26; the movers would be there at 10:00 to load her things. Her flight left at 6:00 that night.

She could stay a little while longer…

The job at PPTH was still open. It wasn't her own department, but she could work her way up…she wouldn't have to be his underling, she could be his equal. The job at Mayo…didn't have to be hers. She didn't need the cute little house in the suburbs that she'd purchased. She could have him.

What was she willing to give up for him?

If she stayed, she wasn't going to leave. Not ever. She could fall asleep in his arms that

night, wake up with him the next morning. Was she naïve enough to think that he wouldn't tire of her? Or even that anything real had happened last night…something more than just sex.

It was better if she just…did it. Like ripping off a band-aid. She twisted carefully, sliding her leg out from between his and scooting down to slide out from under his arm. She placed a pillow in the space her body had left, and stood up silently.

He was still sound asleep, snoring slightly as she tugged her panties and jeans back on. She found her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, watching him as she dressed.

i Wake up. Wake up and ask me to stay. /i 

She would, and that was what scared her. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair and leaned forward, placing a ghost of a kiss on his cheek. She padded softly into his living room and found a green pen and a corner of a scrap paper. She scribbled briefly and snuck back into his bedroom to leave the paper on the pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

House woke up when a familiar twinge shot through his leg. He rolled over on autopilot, grabbing his Vicodin and popping two before he realized something was wrong.

Where the hell was Cameron? He didn't wait for the medicine to kick in, instead grabbing his cane and limping heavily around his bed. Her clothes were gone. He went into the living room. She'd just gotten up to make coffee, that was all. He was overreacting.

Her shoes were gone.

Fuck. Fuck.

He grabbed his phone, flipping through the numbers until he found Cameron's.

i The number you have called has been disconnected. If you feel you have reached this message in error please hang – /i 

Her cell phone. She wouldn't have disconnected that, that wouldn't make any sense.

i Hello, you've reached Dr. Allison Cameron. I'm unavailable to take your call at this time. Please leave a brief message after the beep. If this is an emergency, please contact -- /i 

Frustrated, he dropped the phone onto the coffee table and sank down on his couch. What was he supposed to do? He wasn't going to beg her to stay.

No matter how much he wanted her to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the movers carried boxes to the van, Cameron watched the driveway into the parking lot of her apartment building for House's motorcycle. House's car. House in a taxi, or on a pony for all she cared.

Half of her was afraid he wasn't coming. The other half was afraid he was.

"Sunday afternoon?" one of the movers asked, a notebook open.

"Hrmm?"

"Sunday afternoon. To bring your things. Will you be there by then?"

"Oh. Yeah," Cameron said distractedly. It was going to be a rotten Saturday night, all curled up in her big empty house with her suitcase. She'd shipped a box of basics to her new house, but it wasn't i home /i by any means yet. Maybe she'd stay at her mom's.

Maybe House was going to pull into her driveway.

The movers closed up the back of the truck, and Cameron signed the form. She'd really gone about this whole moving thing haphazardly, she realized as she watched the truck pull out of her parking lot. Maybe she should have had her things already at her new house. She had a week before her new job started, she had time to get settled.

How hard would it be to move everything back?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

House didn't know what time she was supposed to leave, but he still couldn't stop watching the clock. He didn't know what to do…could he assume that she'd be at work on Monday? That she'd be back that night with Chinese and a movie?

For all his claiming to know her, he really didn't.

i I'm not going to call her. She's a big girl; if she wants to come back, she knows where I live. /i 

At noon, he got up and made lunch. He brought his phone with him and set it on the counter so he would hear it ring.

By three, he'd had his fill of stupid daytime soaps. He was sick of staring at the phone, sick of dialing six numbers only to hang up before the seventh.

Fuck it. He'd bite the bullet and go over there himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cameron called the taxi from her neighbor's phone. Somehow, in the jumble of everything, her cell phone had gotten lost and her house phone had been turned off the day before.

Still no House.

She locked her apartment door for the last time and stopped by her landlord's office on the first floor to drop off the key. Outside, she propped up her suitcase and settled down on the bench to wait for the taxi. Three hours and she'd be flying over the Midwest, to a city she hadn't lived in for 6 years.

Even while she stared down the entrance of the parking lot, she tried to give herself more reasons that this was a healthy move. Her family was there, her brother and her parents. The job paid twice what she was currently making. She could have her own department. She could have a house, instead of an apartment, and she could get a pet.

The taxi pulled in and the man got out to help her load her things into the trunk. She thanked him politely, sliding in the back seat and leaning her head against the window.

There were good things about moving back to Minnesota. Why were they so hard to reconcile with leaving him?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

House maneuvered his motorcycle into Cameron's parking lot and parked it against the curb. The parking spaces were unnecessary and he had bigger things on his mind.

He flung his leg over the side of the bike and half limped, half ran to her door.

He knocked against the door with the handle of his cane, his mind racing. What the hell was he supposed to tell her that wouldn't make him look like a moron? Something big enough to get her stay but not enough so she thought he was going soft in the head.

Christ.

He knocked again, harder this time, and a little old woman appeared at the door next to Cameron's.

"She's left, dear," she said, tottering out of the door with her walker in hand, "The taxi picked her up nearly a half hour ago."

He felt a little like he'd been kicked in the stomach, "Oh," he said, and turned to leave the building without another word.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Really romantic things only happened in the movies, Cameron reasoned to herself as she sat at the gate. They didn't let random people back through the metal detectors anymore, and there would be no declaration of love seconds before she boarded the airplane. She needed to get over herself. He just…he knew she was leaving, and he took advantage of that. It wasn't as though she had even expected him to change, really.

i So quit moping like a lovesick puppy, and stop staring at the hallway like he's going to appear. /i 

Easier said than done, really, and she was exhausted from the battle playing out in her head. She'd had enough trouble accepting the offer from Mayo to begin with; the events of the previous night just made everything a million times worse.

"Now boarding rows ten to fifteen, please," The flight attendant announced through the scratchy microphone, "Boarding rows ten to fifteen."

This was it. It was time to move on. She'd go home, go to work, and maybe run into him at a conference next year. They could greet each other like old colleagues, and she's reflect on their time together as beneficial to medical career. She was perfectly capable of leaving the past in the past.

And if she kept telling herself that, eventually…it would have to be true.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He banged into his apartment with more frustration than he'd left with. Because he was a stubborn dumbass, she was gone. He could have left thirty minutes sooner and caught her just fine, and likely now she'd be at his apartment, in his arms, where she belonged. But he hadn't gone, and she was gone.

Maybe last night hadn't meant anything to her anyway. Maybe it was just convenient – screw House before leaving forever. Not like she'd ever have to really deal with him again – maybe a passing hello at a conference but never like she'd put up with for the last four years.

He fixed himself a drink and dropped to the couch, staring at the TV. He really knew how to fuck up a good thing, didn't he? He moved to the piano, but his fingers felt clumsy and as he stared at his fingers on the ivory keys, all he could think of was the night before, and his hands on her.

Frustrated, he shoved two Vicodin in his mouth and grabbed his cane, heading for the bedroom. A little slip of paper caught his attention and he leaned down painfully to pick it up.

i Ask me to stay /i 


	6. Chapter 6

It was strange how easy it was to adapt to life without Cameron. If he didn't think about her, he didn't hurt, and life went on.

Asking her to stay was different than asking her to come home, and he wasn't about to go running to Minnesota to beg for her return. So he threw himself into work and Vicodin and his Gameboy and that was the end of it. Her name stopped coming up in conversation, and Dr. Addison slowly maneuvered her way into her place as a fellow, while Chase and Foreman took their promotions within Diagnostics. The four of them performed well together – Addison shared many of Cameron's positive qualities but was minus an attraction to House, for which House was grateful.

Behind closed office doors, House composed emails that went unsent – i Hi, how are you doing? /i E-mails meant to initiate conversation without looking as pathetic as he often felt. He…tolerated Addison, but she wasn't Cameron and her coffee making skills were comparable to Chase's.

And so life went on. He did not pine for her, though she was a calming constant in his thoughts. If he had the ability to be more expressive, maybe he could have done something about their situation. Sent one of those emails, picked up his phone, something, and then it would have been resolved. She would come home, and that would be the end of it.

Instead, he worked and went home to an empty apartment.

It was during a slow day at work when Cuddy finally cornered him and shoved a brightly colored pamphlet into his hands.

"You're speaking at this," she had said firmly, nodding at the conference pamphlet, "It's in one month. I'm sure you can pull together something to present by then." She knew he'd just had his article accepted by JAMA, and the article would provide a great starting point for his speech.

"And if I don't want to?" he asked, pulling his lollypop out of his mouth and eyeing her suspiciously.

"Then you can have Chase and Foreman's clinic hours."

He opened his mouth to protest, but Cuddy was faster, "Do you want Addison's, too?"

He pressed his lips together, glaring at her, "Fine. I'll go," he grumbled, pushing past her and heading to his office. It wasn't until he was in the elevator that he actually looked at the pamphlet she'd handed him.

b Minneapolis, MN. May 24 – 28th /b 

i Cameron /i 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The conference room was buzzing and the tiny bar was already full. The night was only starting and it had already crashed and burned.

"I'm sorry I can't make it tonight. Andrew tried, but he couldn't find another sitter and I just couldn't do that to Gracia – I promised her I'd take her to McDonald's – and the way tonight is going I'm going to have to duck out early as is."

"I understand, Dr. Cameron – so important not to disappoint kids. I'd be doing the same thing myself for Hannah."

Cameron. Who was she taking to…what was going on? His eyes found her quickly; she was smiling, nodding at a man and gesturing with her hands. From a distance, he could watch her unguarded.

She was wearing a smart black pantsuit, her hair pulled back from her face and handing in loose curls down her back. Her make up was light and her cheeks had rounded – she'd lost that gaunt look she'd had her last months at PPTH.

"She has a birthday coming up, doesn't she?" the man continued. House recognized him from a horribly delivered speech on specialization within kidney disease.

"She does," Cameron replied, "She'll be two in June. They grow up way too fast."

House had heard enough. Cameron had left nearly three years ago and she was already settled. Andrew must be her husband…she sure hadn't wasted any time getting herself knocked up by some other man.

Unless…how old was this kid? Two…two…no. She wouldn't have done that. Wouldn't have left with his child and not said a damn word.

House watched her hand, but he couldn't tell if it was a ring or just a reflection from the glass in her hand.

She looked beautiful and he wondered if she ever thought of him…even half as often as her face crossed his memory. Did that make him even more pathetic?

Cameron said something, then glanced to her left just as he turned his head. Their eyes caught and Cameron visibly startled. He watched her pale and then she spoke to the man, saying her goodbyes. He wondered if she was going to bolt or come over and talk to him, and to hide potential disappointment he turned back to the overcrowded bar.

"House," she murmured, almost shyly.

"Dr. Cameron."

She tipped her chin up, offering him a smile, "Why the formalities, Dr House?" she asked, "What brings you to Minnesota finally?"

"Cuddy. Said it was time I came to a conference. Spread some joy and fairy dust."

Cameron snorted delicately, "I'm sure." There was an uncomfortable pause, then, "So. How've you been?"

"You know. Same ol', Same ol'." i And you've been…raising my child? /i 

Cameron nodded and he felt himself waiting for her to tell him about the child, tell him they had a child…or at least mention she had one. Nothing came, so he tried again.

"There's a wine and cheese…thing tonight. Sure we're not in Wisconsin?"

Cameron grinned, "We're close enough. I won't be there, anyway. I have a…prior commitment. Somehow I doubt you're interested in attending either."

"You caught me," he said flippantly, "I'll be all alone in my hotel room. Thank goodness for PayPerView, really."

"Indeed," Cameron said awkwardly, "Sounds…fun."

"So," he started, "You must not have hated the new job."

"If by new, you mean the one I got three years ago then no, I didn't. I enjoy it. Immunology has had some great advances and new treatments are showing up all the time. So –"

"Glad to hear it," House cut her off, "I've got to go. PayPerView and all that," he finished and turned abruptly. He couldn't stand to watch her talk, watch her face and NOT have her mention the one thing that was really pressing on his mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He felt like a stalker as he found a listing of McDonald's with Playplaces in the area. He started in the suburbs and the taxi driver had been confused but compliant as he drove him to the area McDonalds.

It was on his fourth stop that he found Cameron, sitting in a booth next to the window. He paid the driver and exited the taxi; though now that he'd actually found her he wasn't entirely sure what he should do.

So he went with his gut. He went in, walking straight past the counter and headed into the kids' Playplace, sliding himself into the booth across from Cameron. She glanced up from her book, wondering who'd slid into her booth and jumped when she saw who it was.

"House. What…what are you doing here?" The McDonalds was no where near the hotel the conference was being held and he wouldn't have come all the way out here just for junk food – not when there were three restaurants within walking distance, even for him, of the hotel.

"Which one is she?" he asked bluntly, scanning the children as they played.

"Which one is who…House?" Cameron asked, folding her page over and leaning over, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you talking to Dr. Kidneys," he said, still looking, "About taking your kid to McDonalds 'cause your husband couldn't get a babysitter. Did some math."

The crease between Cameron's eyes became more pronounced as she frowned, "House, what has gotten into you? My husband?"

House's eyes flitted to her left hand; it was bare, "Boyfriend, then," he amended, "but if your kid's turning 2 next month, you either slept with him the night you got here or…"

"My kid?" Cameron repeated, still not entirely sure what was going on.

"Enough, Cameron. We didn't use anything, that's both of our faults, but you could have told me."

"I don't have a boyfriend, husband, OR child," Cameron finally snapped, frustrated, just as a petite little girl with ice blue eyes ambled over to the table.

"All done," the little girl chirped, raising her arms to Cameron. She easily scooped up the child, settling her on her lap.

"Gray, this is my friend, Dr. House."

House scoffed, "Gray House? Cameron, you didn't."

Cameron sighed heavily, "House. This is my niece, Gracia. Andrew is my brother. Do you honestly think that I'm that petty, that I would keep your child from you?"

House snapped his jaw shut and studied Gray. She did look eerily like Cameron, and the blue eyes were certainly reminiscent of his, but so many people had blue eyes.

"Oh," he said, oddly subdued.

"Greg," Cameron said softly, reaching across the table for his hand, balancing Gracia on her knee carefully, "I wouldn't have done that to you. I'm sorry I…"

"Talked about your niece with a colleague while I was eavesdropping?" he said, pulling his hand away from hers and standing up, "Sorry to intrude." He was a little surprised at the twisting…disappointment in his stomach as he turned to leave. What, did he think that Cameron would keep his child from him for two years and then welcome him back into her life with open arms?

Maybe it was because it seemed like his one shot to get her back.

"Wait," Cameron said, standing up, balancing her niece on her hip, "Why don't I give you a ride back to the hotel? You don't have a car here, I'm assuming…" she wasn't about to ask how he'd found them.

"Okay," he nodded, glancing at the child, "I don't have a car. I can call a cab, but…"

"There'll be a half hour wait. Don't worry; I just need to drop her off at my brother's and then I'll take you…back to the hotel," she finished, fighting the urge to say home. God, it had been so long since she'd seen him and every nerve ending in her body had been lit up since she'd seen him at the conference.

"Thank you," he mumbled, still half-reeling from embarrassment while fighting the urge to kiss her again.

Cameron nodded, kneeling down to put Gracia's shoes on, "Okay. I'll just be a minute at Andrew's," she said, mostly to fill the silence, "I just promised him I'd watch Gray for him so he and his wife could have dinner together in peace…and…yeah, so I'll just drop her off."

House slide into the passenger's side of Cameron's little car while Cameron easily buckled Gracia into the seat. He was struck with how easily she moved with the little girl, and the disappointment that she wasn't theirs felt…pathetic.

He was silent as Cameron drove to Andrew's house, and they dropped Gracia off without trouble, and Cameron slid back into the car and looked over at House, "What time do you have to be at the hotel tomorrow?"

He shrugged, "I don't. As long as I show up the day after to present, I don't have a curfew."

"Oh. Well. Um," Cameron fumbled for words, amazed at how hard it was to say what she wanted, "Would you like to come over tonight? I have some wine…"

He nodded, turning his head to look at her. She looked…he couldn't even put a label on her face. Half-worried and half-hesitant, and he couldn't say no. Wouldn't be able to say no to anything she asked him for.

"Sure," he said, "but you're going to have to feed me too. Something not McDonalds."


	7. Chapter 7

The tension was palpable as Cameron pulled into her driveway and parked the car in the garage.

"This is it," she said, mostly to fill the silence, and she waited until House had gotten out of the car to lock the car door and open the house, "Come on in, make yourself comfortable."

Cameron disappeared into the kitchen while House made his way into her living room. It was…completely Cameron, if he was honest. Cream carpeting with beige furniture, blue accents. Light pine coffee table with matching end tables, and a little vase of flowers. Behind the couch was a toy box with Gracia's name on it; Cameron obviously spoiled her little niece rotten.

Cameron returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses, "Here," she said, offering him a glass, "Were you hungry? I can make you something quick…"

He shrugged awkwardly, hating that he felt this out of his element. He couldn't even think of anything to say, no teasing comments, no intellectual comments, hell, they couldn't even talk about work anymore.

"So…Gracia's your brother's…" that wasn't an answer to her question, but it was good enough for now.

"My brother's daughter. Yes. They're expecting another little girl in two months," Cameron said, sinking down on the couch next to him, swirling the wine in her glass.

"Congrats," House said, swallowing his wine and refilling the glass.

"Mmhmm."

Five minutes passed in horrible silence. Cameron toyed with her wine glass, and House finished two more before he finally spoke again.

"You didn't even wake me up."

Cameron blinked wide eyes at him, "I…didn't wake you up. i That's /i why it's been 3 years since we've spoken? Because I didn't wake you up."

"You just left," he said, unwilling to share the part where he'd called and called and then finally shown up at her apartment, a half hour too late.

"I…" Cameron opened her mouth to defend herself, then snapped it shut.

She had just left. She'd…assumed it was just sex for him, and she'd left. Written him a stupid note that she knew he wouldn't see, and left.

"I did," she mumbled, her free hand clenching the fabric of her dress pants, "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't think and I just…assumed."

"When you assume you make an ass out of you and me," House grumbled, staring at the wine.

Several long, silent seconds ticked by before Cameron spoke, "It wasn't just sex for you," she said, like she'd just realized that.

"No," he said simply, not sure what she wanted to hear. Not sure how much he wanted to share. It hadn't been just sex, and three years was a long time to miss someone without taking any action.

"Oh," she whispered, setting her wine glass on the table. He glanced up from the swirling liquid and did the same, the clink of the wine glass too loud in the quiet room.

Cameron slid her hand over his thigh, then twined her fingers with his. She stared at their joined hands, watched him run his thumb over the smooth skin of her hand.

"I think I screwed up," she said, so softly he almost didn't hear her.

"Yeah, we did," he agreed, then turned his head just enough to capture her lips with his. The kiss caught Cameron off guard and she jumped in shock, but he slid his free hand up around the back of her neck, holding her to him as he kissed her. She whimpered, opening her mouth to him and he traced the contours of her mouth, remembering how she tasted and sounded and felt under his touch.

Cameron pulled back first, jumping away from him as though he was electrified. She brought a shaking hand to her lips, staring at him with wide eyes.

"It's alright," he said, scooting over closer to her again, "You know, I have already seen you naked."

Cameron's laugh was tense, "I have…my job here," she stammered, "My family is here."

House shook his head. Those were not things he wanted to discuss right then. Right then, he just wanted to grab her and kiss her and get his lips on as much of her skin as possible. He had three years to make up for, and he wasn't interested in wasting time.

"Cameron," he said, his voice rough, "Come here."

She'd never been very good at disobeying him, and now was no exception. She closed the remaining gap between the two of them, watching him with dark eyes. When he grasped her hips and moved her so she was straddling his legs, she went willingly, hitching her leg over his damaged thigh and settling herself carefully in his lap.

"That's better," he said, wrapping his arms around her back to bring her closer to him. His lips moved to the soft skin of her shoulder, and he tugged the collar of her shirt away so he could reach more skin.

Cameron moaned prettily, tipping her head to the side to give him better access. His lips trailed over the curve of her neck, up over her cheek and back to her lips.

He closed his eyes and moved his fingers to twine in her hair. Kissing her felt like coming home and he could have kicked himself for being a stubborn ass for three long years. Three years that he could have had this, and he'd thrown it away because he was too stubborn to tell her.

"House," she murmured, breaking away from the kiss and looking at him, "What is this?" Her voice was shaky, and he could feel her trembling in his lap, "We haven't seen each other for three years. You track me down at a McDonald's, thinking I have your daughter, then you come back to my house and now we're," she paused, taking a deep breath, "making the same mistakes we made three years ago."

"It wasn't a mistake," he insisted, his hands warm on her hips, holding her close, "The mistake was what happened after. What I b didn't /b do was the mistake."

That was more of an apology than she'd expected from him, and more than she really felt she deserved – the horrible miscommunication had been just as much her fault as his.

"What happens, then?" she asked, bringing more willing hands to cup the back of his neck, her fingers trailing through short, soft hair, "We live hours away from each other."

He leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her swollen lips, "I don't know," he said honestly, feeling horribly out of his element without some snide comment or teasing remark.

Cameron nodded, "Alright," she said softly, and then finally kissed him back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cameron woke up early the next morning, blinking open sleepy eyes in the pale light of the morning sun. She moved to roll over, but the heavy arm flung over her waist held her to the bed.

"No," he grumbled, "Don't even try it."

Cameron smiled and waited for him to move his arm so she could roll over to face him, "I wasn't going to get up," she said, turning her head to his to kiss him good morning, "Though I could put some coffee on."

House tipped his head to the side, cocking an eyebrow as if in thought. Several seconds ticked by, and then he shot her a dirty grin, "I have a better idea," he said, and grabbed her around the hips, pulling her to lay on top of him, skin to skin.

She purred and wiggled, her smile widening as she leaned down to kiss him again, "You do, huh?" she teased, kissing over his rough cheeks and burrowing her head into the warm curve of his shoulder, leaving playful little bites.

It felt…perfect. Like their first morning after should have been. Nothing had been decided, nothing even discussed, but there was an ease between them now. That, despite the obstacles, i something /i was going work out. They were going to work out.

"I see someone's already awake," Cameron said, then giggled.

"Cliché, Cameron," House said, nonetheless tightening his grip on her, pulling her flush against his growing erection, "But accurate."

"Well, I'd hate to leave you like this," she said coyly, "You'll want to concentrate for your speech, and what sort of doctor would I be if I just…ignored the problem?"

He chuckled lowly; Cameron couldn't remember the last time she'd heard anything that sounded as…perfect. She moved carefully, easily mindful of his thigh, until she was sitting, straddling him.

"Teasing is very mean," House said, reaching up to brush a section of hair from her face, tucking the lock of brown behind her ear.

Cameron leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as his palm curved around her cheek. She sighed, taking a moment just to i feel /i …feel his strong chest under her palms, his hand cupped against her cheek, the insistent press of him against her skin.

She blinked her eyes open as she grasped his length, slowly guiding him inside of her. She managed to keep them open as she sank down, letting him fill her, and watching his face was almost as satisfying as the feeling of him inside of her.

"Cameron," he breathed, palming her silky thighs as she stilled, her legs braced on either side of him. She smiled down at him, fluttering her inner walls and watching his eyes close.

"I missed you," she breathed, finally moving against him, leaning forward to kiss him. He reached for her again; it felt like he could never touch her enough. Like he had three years to make up for and he was starting right now.

"Me…too," he panted, trying to keep his eyes open. He wanted to watch her, but it was so hard to keep them open when she felt like liquid silk around him.

"I'm glad…you…found me," she gasped, fingernails clawing into his biceps as she rode him.

He stiffened under her, feeling his orgasm building and slide his hand between them, teasing at her clit with persistent fingers. She mewled his name, his first name, and came, tightening wonderfully around him. He followed seconds later, nearly biting through his lip as she sank onto him, pulling him deep inside her.

"Fuck, Allison," he grunted, his fingers clenching tightly around the pale skin of her hips, his eyes slamming shut.

She sighed and laid down against his chest, tucking her head under his chin, content.

"Sorry it took so long," he said in a voice she'd never heard. She was confused for a minute, and then remembered her earlier words. She gave him a gentle smile as she finally moved off him, tucking her body against his side.

"Better late then never."


	8. Chapter 8

If someone had told Cameron that House liked to cuddle, she would have pointed them in the direction of the psych ward. After she'd stopped laughing, of course. Sure, he'd held her the first night they'd been together, but wrapping an arm around her waist after sex and pulling her into his arms, fully clothed, in the middle of the afternoon were two entirely different behaviors.

It was two in the afternoon, and she was tucked in the space between House's legs, his hand playing through her hair, occasionally twisting a strand of hair around his fingers as her back rested against his chest. The remnants of lunch were scattered on the coffee table – sandwich wrappers and empty chip bags made their home among the little knick-knacks.

"So, he loves her, but she's in love with his twin," House explained, pointing at the characters on TV, "Which is why he's wearing the sweater vest."

"Mhmm," Cameron agreed, her eyes slipping shut. She was warm and content and she didn't really care what was happening on General Hospital.

"You're not paying attention," he scolded, his voice teasing, "There's gonna be a test later."

"Not worried," Cameron said lazily, stretching and nuzzling her head under his chin.

"I had no idea you were this lazy," he mocked, rubbing her back gently, "You put on a great show at work, and then you spend your free time…"

"I believe you were the one who initiated General Hospital hour."

"You win," he mumbled, kissing the top of her head before resting his head on the couch. He wasn't actually paying attention to the show, but he'd never admit to wanting to just… i _hold_ /i Cameron. Three years and she still fit in his arms like she had been made for him.

Cameron wiggled against him, sending little sparks down his spine and he shifted under her, half hoping she'd feel his erection against her skin and do something about it and half hoping she'd just stay in his arms forever.

"So the sweater vest is because he wants her back?" Cameron's voice was teasing, and she tipped her head up, kissing his chin, "See? I was listening."

"Very good," House said gruffly, shifting against her and pressing his pelvis purposefully against her ass, "Maybe you could pay attention to something else now."

"Like what?" Cameron asked, all wide-eyed innocence, "It's hard to keep track of all the people."

"Right. Forget them," House said, grabbing for the remote and turning off the TV.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Cameron said, mock-distressed as House palmed her hips before moving a single hand to the apex of her thighs, cupping her through the thin material of her yoga pants, "Or not," she amended, spreading her legs wider to give him better access.

"You're very easily distracted," he said, moving his mouth to her ear, nibbling lightly at the lobe as his fingers traced teasing patterns over her sensitive skin.

"You like it," Cameron mumbled, her eyelids fluttering as House continued to tease her through her pants.

"Mmhmm," House agreed, moving his hand to her stomach before slipping his hand under the waistband of her pants, "No underwear, Dr. Cameron?"

"Gets in the way," she teased back, sighing contentedly as his fingers finally slipped through the folds of her labia, finding her clit. He circled it three times as his other hand inched up her stomach, until he was cupping her soft breast in his palm, "House," she mewled, squirming under his touch, "Please don't tease."

His lips found her neck, and he placed gentle kisses over her soft skin as he played his long fingers over her sensitive body, one hand at her breast and the other sliding two fingers carefully into her heated center.

"Greg," she panted, slipping down a little on the couch and jarring his mouth from her neck as her back arched. She felt him chuckle into her hair as he brought his thumb up to slide over her clit as he curled his fingers inside of her.

"You're so wet," he told her, his voice rough in her ear, "Maybe you like General Hospital more than you let on."

Cameron's laugh turned into a moan as he continued moving his fingers, pushing harder with his thumb before removing his hand completely. He ignored her annoyed whine as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her cloth pants and tugged on them.

"Off," he demanded, and Cameron complied, lifting her hips and helping him inch her pants down her legs, finally kicking them onto the floor. When the offending garment was gone, she sat up and turned around so she was finally facing him. He gave her a lopsided grin and tugged at the hem of her shirt; she lifted it easily over her head and returned his smile.

"No bra, either, Dr. Cameron," he said, his hands moving to cup her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples, "Were you expecting something?"

"Well, we did blow off all those talks today…" she sighed as his thumbs pressed a little harder, "So it's nice to get something for my time…"

"Well, of course," he agreed, bringing his lips to curl around one nipple while he worked at the other with his thumb and forefinger. He pulled back; blowing a cool burst of air over her tightening nipple, then brought his fingers to the sensitive nub and moved his mouth to the other.

He stayed there for several minutes, nibbling and licking and pinching until Cameron's squirming drew his attention further south. Silently, he palmed her hips and tugged, telling her without words what to do. She complied easily, straddling his lap but keeping her weight off his damaged thigh, unashamedly grinding her pelvis against his clothed erection.

"In a hurry for something?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral even as sparks shot down his spine and straight into his groin.

"C'mon, Greg," Cameron pleaded, "Enough…"

He guffawed and rolled his eyes dramatically before half shoving her off his lap, "Well, get to bed then," he said, but the playful tone in his voice made up for his actions.

Cameron caught her balance easily, standing up next to him, but laid a hand on either of his shoulders to prevent him from joining her, "All by myself?" a quirked eyebrow gave away her teasing, and she continued, "What's wrong with the couch?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, and before he was aware of where her hands were headed, she had his jeans unbuttoned and halfway down his legs.

"That's…impressive," House said, a little amazed that she'd gotten both his pants and his boxers down over the site of his infarction without even a hint of pain.

Cameron grinned toothily, "You gonna finish?" she asked, her eyes flitting from his face to his erection and back again. She felt like just a little bit of him had her craving even more…and didn't even want to think about what was going to happen tomorrow evening, when the conference wrapped.

The look House gave her could only be described as amused, "I guess I'd better," he said, pushing his jeans and boxers down his legs and using his strong leg to kick them off to the side. He dragged his t-shirt over his head and then motioned for her to rejoin him on the couch.

"Better," Cameron purred, resuming her position in his lap. She pressed herself flat against his chest, nibbling at his earlobe and cupping the back of his head as she took her turn teasing him.

House groaned, strong hands cupping her hips as he tried to maneuver her but she held herself strong, moving only enough to change his groan to a very un-House like gasp.

"Allison," he said, "Now who's…ugh…"

Cameron's coy reply was cut short as she finally let him push inside of her, her little hand curled around the base of his cock.

"Greg," she panted, laying her forehead against his as she carefully sank down, her legs braced on the outside of his, "God, Greg…"

House was silent, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close as she flexed her inner muscles around her, "Fuck, Allison," he gasped, "Again."

Cameron complied, then braced her palms on his shoulders, "Anything else I should do?" she managed, a little proud that she managed to keep her voice level even as she clenched around him and her clit throbbed.

"Yeah," he bit out, returning his hands to her hips to give him more control over her, "Move."

"Mmhmm," Cameron murmured, but instead of moving, she lowered his lips to his, kissing him hard. Her lips parted and she let him slide his tongue across her teeth, into her mouth, deepening the kiss.

"God, I could kiss him forever," Cameron thought, and then she stopped thinking.

The kiss moved from passionate to rough until finally House thrust his hips up, pushing himself deep into Cameron's tightness. She gasped into his mouth, her eyes flying open to meet his heated gaze, finally moving her hips.

"Good girl," he muttered, leaning back against the couch with his hands on her hips as she writhed on his lap, sliding up and down his cock with enthusiasm. Oh fuck…he was already on edge and her eagerness just made him ache all the more.

He moved his hand from her hip to slide between them, his finger circling around her slippery clit. He delighted in the way his name sounded coming from her lips, all breathy and pleading as she bounced faster.

"Allison," he groaned, working harder at her sensitive skin, "Come for me, pet."

The combination of him inside her, his fingers at her clit and the endearment he'd let slip from his lips was more than enough to send her over the edge. She came hard, her mouth slipping to his shoulder as she let her teeth sink into the tanned skin.

He thrust twice more into her before spilling into her, repeating her name like a mantra as her trembling center drew the last of his orgasm from him.

She lay against him, panting, as she came down from her orgasm. Slowly, she moved off of him and resettled against him, reaching over the back of the couch and tugging down the blanket that was resting there. She pulled it over the two of them, nuzzling her head under his chin happily.

A beat passed, then two, as one of House's arms curled around her back and the other tangled in her hair. A contented sigh and then,

"So. Better than General Hospital?"


End file.
